Postnatal thriving: integrating positive psychology with antenatal and early parenting education to build flourishing families — ASN Events
  1. Schedule
  2. Podium - A Positive Psychology based Autism Intervention, Effective Positive Psychology Practice from Messy Theories, Integrating Positive Psychotherapy in Clinical Practice, Postnatal Thriving and A Wellbeing Course for Gender Equality
  3. Postnatal thriving: integrating positive psychology with antenatal and early parenting education to build flourishing families

Postnatal thriving: integrating positive psychology with antenatal and early parenting education to build flourishing families (#59)

Caroline Zavolokin 1
  1. Thriveminds, Wamberal, NSW, Australia

Background

Effective wellbeing strategies need to exist in contexts in which we live, learn, work, play. The application of positive psychology to educational and organisational systems is well researched. To truly make a difference to population wellbeing, we need to start with families because they are the building blocks of societies.

While there's increasing interest in application of positive psychology to parenting research and practice, an under-represented area in the literature is antenatal education.  The focus of antenatal education has primarily been physical health behaviours and preparation for birth. Very little emphasis has been on parenting education or wellbeing beyond the birth. Wellbeing literacy is concerned with educating about and for wellbeing.

Aims

Infancy is a critical learning period and crucial time for development. This program aims to harness this period to lay down important wellbeing foundations by educating expectant parents in wellbeing literacy and practice. Research suggests this equips parents with the language to improve their own and their children’s wellbeing. By integrating positive psychology knowledge and interventions with antenatal education, the program aims to enhance positive wellbeing and enable flourishing for parents, their children and in turn, whole communities.

Method

Positive psychology modules including introduction to positive psychology and wellbeing literacy, PPIs of character strengths, gratitude and savouring were integrated with an existing antenatal education program for expectant parents. Pre- and post- wellbeing measures as well as 6-month follow up data collected.

Results

It is expected that the integration of positive psychology knowledge and skills will lead to increased wellbeing literacy, improved wellbeing outcomes, perinatal thriving and in turn, flourishing families

Conclusion

This approach helps fill the gap in early parenting education and broadens the reach of positive psychology and wellbeing science into the discipline of antenatal education. The program teaches ways that expectant parents from all demographics can enhance their own wellbeing and in turn set their children on positive wellbeing trajectories to create flourishing families.

 

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  8. Oades, L. G., Jarden, A., Hou, H., Ozturk, C., Williams, P., R. Slemp, G., & Huang, L. (2021). Wellbeing literacy: A capability model for wellbeing science and practice. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(2), 719.
  9. Seligman, M.E.P., Ernst, R.M., Gillham, J., Reivich, K., Linkins, M. (2009). Positive education: positive psychology and classroom interventions. Oxford Review of Education, 35(3), 293-311.
  10. Seligman, M. E. P., Adler, A. (2019). Positive Education. In J. F. Helliwell, R. Layard, & J. Sachs (Eds.), Global Happiness and Wellbeing Policy Report: 2019. (Pp. 52 - 71). Global Council for Wellbeing and Happiness.
  11. Waters, L. (2017). The Strength Switch: How the New Science of Strength-Based Parenting Helps Your Child and Teen to Flourish. Sydney, NSW: Random House.
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